A tug of war over the business of garbage

The public saw a glimpse of the battling business interests behind how to deal with this region’s garbage at a Port Coquitlam council meeting Monday night.

Belcorp’s Russ Black went head to head with Port Coquitlam’s mayor and chair of Metro Vancouver, Greg Moore.

Moore “What is the rate that Belcorp has negotiated for your electrical sales?”

Black “There is a material difference between biogenic based energy, which goes at a $100.”

Moore “I am just asking a question what is the number?”

Black “It is a $100 but it is biogenic based.”

Moore “Oh.”

Black “The incinerator is fossil fuel based electricity.”

Moore “Oh.”

Black “So 50% of your waste stream is fossilized fuel.”

Moore “Right.”

Black “So we are saying that doesn’t meet the Clean Energy Act.”

Moore, who backs Metro’s proposed incinerator, was scornful of Black saying Metro’s proposed rate for selling its potential power from its proposed Waste to Energy facility to BC Hydro was much to high.

Moore “I am just trying to clarify that you think garbage in a dump should get $100 per megawatt hour, and garbage that is incinerated or gasified that is producing reports about what is actually coming out of it – should only get $25 an hour.”

Black “Garbage….your words…”

Moore “So it is okay for BC Hydro to subsidize a landfill, a garbage dump, but not a waste-to-energy facility.”

Comments

Some self interested groups are pushing for and OTEHR incinerator in GVRD. WE already got plenty of air pollution. Generation of electricity will be more costly . BC has millions of acres of land where garbage could be burried.

Then there was the offer from LINDEN Washington willing to take all the garbage from BC but the ‘save the planet’ phoneys meddling in Victoria Legislation passed a LAW FORBIDDING any garbage to leave BC.